


Endgame Reprise

by toggledog



Series: Ironfrost [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Self-Sacrifice, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-02-26 22:04:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18725893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toggledog/pseuds/toggledog
Summary: In an alternate universe, Loki and Tony are a happy couple. In this universe, Thanos kills Bruce Banner on the Asgardian refugee ship and Thor is ashed along with the others who were ashed in the prime universe (in this au universe Steve and ashed!Bucky were also an established couple).Loki works with the surviving Avengers to go back in time and find the infinity stones, to restore the universe. Only Loki, fearing for Tony's safety, has a slight alternate plan.As this is an alternate universe, it will both follow the events of Endgame but also diverge, in key moments.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I did love Endgame but still felt it was problematic in some areas, such as Natasha dying over Clint, Steve going back to be with Peggy and Loki still dying in the most stupid OOC fashion in Infinity War.  
> This is my alternate version of events.  
> This can be seen as a continuation of my Ironfrost series, which charts Loki and Tony's relationship from the end of Civil War and through Ragnarok and Infinity War, but also can be read as a standalone fic.

Prologue

Whoopsie, the nazis were winning again. Tony fired back at the german shepherd rushing him, before realistic gunfire decimated his character and remaining lifeline, in intense bloody fashion.

Back to the beginning again, to the yellow vested grizzled man bearing a mega-kill-nazi gun, the title ‘Wolfenstein’ flashing above the ruined city bearing the nazi flag behind the hero. Did he wish to restart the game?

In a flicker of words at the bottom of the screen, mechhead2001 came online, with their usual barrage of insults. Tony could give credit for only one, which involved a creative way in which the fellow gamer could fornicate with Tony’s mother. Tony considered answering back, with far wittier rejoinders. Perhaps Tony of the past would have. Instead, he pointed the controller at the television and switched off the playstation, before leaning back into the lounge chair and patting his ample stomach. Too many cheeseburgers, particularly over the past year. There was a time when he was all lean muscle, with virtually no fat.

But then, there was also a time when he didn’t fail to stop Thanos from destroying half of the universe, taking out every person in both his inner and outer circles. Names that punctured his heart with precision aim, with every jolt of remembrance. Pepper. Rhodie. Happy. Peter. All of the Avengers gone. Steve. Natasha. Clint. Thor. All of them. All decimated in to ash, but for Bruce. After six months of attempting to live with Tony, to share in their pain together, Bruce had left. Not that Tony blamed him.

He had always been impossible to live with. Even Pepper had-

But no, he didn’t want to go there. Didn’t want to go anywhere in the murky waters that had seeped into his once pristine mind. Five years had passed and the once brilliant, renowned superhero billionaire playboy philanthropist, had now lost all, but for the immense girth he had gained around his waist.

Belching, Tony rummaged around the beer bottle and mug littered coffee table beside himself, for a full, or even half, or even quarter full beer. Finding no success, he stood, yawned, and stomped across to the kitchen. Sharp knocking, sounding on his front door, spooked him, causing him to flinch and then titter at his reaction.

 “Come on, Tony, I know you’re in there!” The voice sounded into the darkened room.

Bruce.

_Don’t answer. He’ll go away, eventually._

“Tony?”

His ache for his old friend overcame his trepidation and Tony stepped across the foyer, opened the front door, closed his eyelids against the bright sunlight, opened his eyes and inwardly gasped at the creature before himself.

Bruce had… changed.

“So, we both have made changes,” Tony said, as the larger and more green Bruce’s own surprised brown eyes flicked up and down Tony’s far chunkier body. “You managed to successfully combine yourself and Hulk together, and I got fat.”

Blushing discoloured the green cheeks purple.

“No, Tony, I wasn’t-“

“It’s okay,” Tony said. “Come on in, the place is a mess but I’ll be able to scrounge up coffee… somewhere…”

Bruce lowered his head down as he stepped inside, kind enough not to display any obvious disgust at the pizza boxes strewn around the dusty floor or dirty cups and plates lying around on various surfaces.

“You’ re right. I’ve been working on it the past five years,” Bruce said. “I finally pulled it off a week ago.”

“So…” Tony wandered towards the kitchen, with Bruce following. “How do you want to be addressed now? Professor Hulk? Bruce Hulk? Just Hulk, like Madonna or Beyonce? Do you think they survived? Because-“

He never got to finish that thought, because Loki materialised in his lounge room, without warning, causing Tony to gasp, clutching at his upper ribcage. Underneath, his heart was frantically trying to beat out of the sturdy bone.

“Damn! What just happened? That nearly-“ Tony began.

Hulk wasted no time in being shocked at the sudden appearance of the one who had tried to take over New York years before. He stomped over and held Loki up by his neck.

“Yes, hello to you too, Bruce or Hulk or whatever you are! I’m not here to fight!” Loki gasped, clutching at the throttling green hand.

“Then why are you here? Is this a trick?” Bruce asked. “Where’s Thanos?”

“Let go of me, you fool!” Choking noises were also coming out of Loki’s mouth. “I’m here in an attempt to _destroy_ Thanos!”

Tony ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife out of the drawer and came back, holding up the flimsy weapon.

“Let him go, Bruce. I want to hear what he has to say. It’s not every day a demigod appears in my lounge room.”

With seeming reluctance, Bruce released his hold on the demigod. Loki tumbled to the ground and rubbed his now reddened neck, glaring at Bruce, before his attention switched to Tony and the knife.

“That won’t do much good if I wanted to kill you,” Loki said, standing.

“You wouldn’t get more than an inch closer before I squashed you,” Bruce roared.

Loki looked him up and down. “This combining of yourself and the hulk isn’t doing too well in containing your anger, is it?” He then peered around the room, brow crinkling. “Out of all parallel dimensions, this looks to be the worst. Why was I sent here?”

“I’m sure in other dimensions, I haven’t turned into Tony Lebowski, but how did you get here?” Tony asked then realised what he’d just said. “You’re really from another dimension?” He was open to the concept of multiple universes, but this was a trickster god.

“It’s… a long story…” Loki replied. “But it’s true. I have the tesseract. I stole it from Asgard. Mother told me this would take me to the place where I would get the help I need to kill Thanos and I was sent here.”

“Hold on, I’m confused. You came from the past? Is that what you’re saying?” Bruce asked. “Has the tesseract taken you back in time?”

“No, only space. Although I did go back in time and then forward… It’s… again a long story…” Loki held up his right wrist, to reveal a white band. “This was developed by you,” he walked up to Tony and held his wrist closer. “It’s a way for us to go back in time and grab the infinity stones, to bring back those who have been turned to ash.”

“The same thing happened here,” Tony said. “Thanos won. Maybe he won in all parallel universes.”

“The others… they didn’t make it, did they?” Loki asked.

Both Tony and Bruce shook their heads.

“ _All_ the other Avengers?”

“All ashed,” Tony said. “Only Bruce and I remained.”

Words then came out of Loki’s mouth Tony never considered would reach his ears from the trickster who had tried to kill them, and caused him to develop ptsd with his antics.

“I’m so sorry, Tony,” he said with such warmth that Tony blinked, an electric warmth buzzing in his own stomach. For a moment, the blue eyes met his and the warmth grew to a raging fire. Tony was drawn to the demigod’s pale lips.

_What the hell is this? Tony, you’ve been far too long without knookie to be looking at Loki as a potential one to roll around on the ground with!_

“You’re not like the Loki we have known, are you?” Bruce asked.

A slight smile crinkled the corner of his mouth. “Why? What did the Loki you knew do?”

“Tried to take over New York… the world. Was sent back to Asgard… after that… not sure…”

“I’m sure he’s incredible…. Because he’s me,” Loki shrugged. “All Loki’s in the universe are amazing. Just as all the Tony’s are… even if some are rather… out of shape. Anyway, so the plan is to-“

Tony’s mouth flung open at the implication.

“So, the Tony in your universe, you and him are. You. And Tony,” Bruce said, as though trying to shove two puzzle pieces together with differing jagged edges.

Tony’s brain was also attempting to match the disparate images together, of him and Loki kissing, laughing together, naked, frotting. Intimate.

_Me. And Loki?_

“Why is this a surprise? There are billions of universes, with billions of configurations. I’m sure there are more than a few where you two are entwined,” Loki said, causing Bruce and Tony to catch eyes, then look away.

_Love you like the biggest bro, Bruce but er… no…Not this one, at least._

_Again me. Loki?_

“Anyway, back to more pressing matters. What’s going to happen is we go to my universe and we bring back the ashed people. With you two, we can,” Loki insisted.

“But if you already have a Tony in your universe…” A revelation dawned on Tony. “You don’t have a Hulk. And he’s the only one who could wear the infinity gauntlet.”

Loki nodded.

“But you don’t need me then,” Tony said. “You have another Tony.”

Loki slunk forward, his steps graceful, sensual movements. “In your universe, Stephen Strange would have told Thanos to keep you alive. He would have given up the time stone to do it. Why do you think this is?”

“Doesn’t matter. Thanos won. Doctor Strange was wrong.”

“Maybe in this universe. But in ours, we have a chance to reverse what Thanos did. Maybe you have been the key to all of this all along. Not in your universe but in ours.”

In Loki’s husky monologue, Tony was finding himself more and more convinced. Perhaps this was a chance for redemption. Besides, what was there for him here but more subcutaneous layers of flesh and damaged liver?

A small voice in the back of his head told him there was a trick at play, here. Why was Loki determined to go out of his way to find another Tony to help, when there was one in his universe?

He had the strongest intuition that him being out of that universe, a ‘spare’ of sorts, was important to the trickster god.

“In your universe, did the same thing happen with your Tony?” Tony asked. “Did Stephen Strange sacrifice himself so Tony would live?”

“That I don’t know,” Loki said in such a convincing fashion Tony was almost convinced he was telling the truth.

Almost.

Tony and Bruce once again caught eyes and Tony shrugged. “Well, fighting parallel Thanos is better than sitting around exchanging insults with fourteen-year-old boys online. Alright, I’ll do it! Let’s go to your universe and kick ass!”

 “If it’s a chance to kill Thanos, I’m in,” Bruce said, clenching his green fists.

Nodding, the trickster god pulled out the tesseract from the confines of his white suit. Tony was about to ask where he had managed to hide it in his tight outfit, when Loki spoke.

“Tony, Bruce, grab each other’s shoulder.”

Both did as Loki said. Loki’s hand was warm on Tony’s shoulder, the other gripping the tesseract, when Tony’s stomach jerked, and he was whisked swiftly through space, to a hopefully superior destination to their decimated world.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who sent kudos/bookmarked/commented.  
> Onto the next!

Tony gave one last thrust into his lover’s velvet interior, crying out as he ascended to the heights of intense pleasure, gushing his come. Loki thrust up to meet him, gasping his own orgasm, his pale cheeks flushed pink, his own come splashing across their combined abdomens. Sated, Tony collapsed against him, kissing the soft flesh of his chest.

“More than adequate as usual,” Loki’s fingers were electric as they trailed through his hair.

“More than adequate?” Tony placed his chin on his chest and looked up into the sparkling blue irises. “You’re not usually so subtle, Loki.”

“I would prefer not to pander to your ego.”

“And why not?” Tony pouted, sliding up his body to kiss his lips, fondling his now lax member. “As one with a large ego yourself, you’re rather good at pandering to mine.”

Loki’s smirk now widened to a full white-toothed grin. “Touché, my love. Today is a good day for pandering to egos, wouldn’t you say? Our eight-year anniversary.”

“That reminds me,” Tony crossed to the Norwegian oak wardrobe, pulling it open and retrieving the gift wrapped in black and green paper. “Eight years since the day I was shot on earth and sent to Asgard for healing, only to fall madly in love with the formerly genocidal mischievous demi-god who shared the cell block with me. If I ever get to meet the man who shot me, I’ll give him the biggest, sloppiest kiss.”

Loki’s bright blue irises brightened further, as he took the gift off Tony. Watching Loki’s rapturous expression, as he tore the wrapping paper apart, Tony was able to, for the moment at least, forget the dark depression the world had seeped into.

Five years had passed since Thanos had used the infinity stones to decimate half of the universe. Five years since Bruce was killed before them, since Loki witnessed Thor turn to ash, since Peter Parker turned to ash in Tony’s arms.

Five years since they tracked down Thanos with the help of Captain Marvel, Nebula, Clint and Natasha, only to discover that he had destroyed the infinity stones. In a fit of rage, Loki had then picked up a scythe nearby and loped the titan’s head from his shoulders.

“It’s what Thor would have done,” he had explained.

In all of the pain and mourning in the grey world since, there were moments of beauty, as this time; Loki’s pure unadulterated joy at opening a gift.

The slight falter of the smile, as he ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal an iron man helmet informed Tony of his partner’s disappointment. Loki was a brilliant actor, could convince anyone of anything. However, Tony knew him more than anyone, perhaps bar the now deceased Thor. The slight uptilt of brow, the creeping downward turn of lip spoke volumes as to Loki’s emotional interior.

“My own Iron Man helmet. It’s amazing, Tony,” Loki’s excited tone would have fooled another, but not Tony.

“You hate it,” Tony said.

“No, I don’t I-“ Loki turned the object over in his hands. “Fine, it’s not amazing. It’s just not… why did you give this to me for our anniversary?”

“Because it comes with a suit,” Tony said. “Put the helmet on and the suit follows. It will keep you safe.”

“Tony…” Loki placed the helmet down on the bedside table. “I’m a demigod with magical powers. I don’t need it.”

Tony held his tongue against reminding Loki of the second last time they went against Thanos, where the titan had easily held him up into the air and was strangling him, whereupon Tony barged out wearing his iron man suit to rescue him.

“But it’s a sweet gesture, thank you,” he sated Tony with his warm lips on his.

*

Loki’s own present was more elaborate than Tony’s and revealed itself after they dressed, stepped out of their tiny cottage on the top of the hill facing the ocean, and strolled down the path out front to earth Asgard’s main town square. The townsfolk, who generally kept distance from their would-be once rulers, moved to stand in a circle around them.

“Okay, weird- “ Tony began, before a woman stepped forward and, with a powerful intonation, belted out an incredible jazzy voice.

“At last…”

The violins in the hands of the two children beside her seemed to come from nowhere.

“My love has come along…”

As the group around them grabbed the person closest, to partner dance to the Etta James classic, Loki grabbed Tony's hands, placed one on his hip, gripped his other in his and they danced in unison with the others.

“Class sophistication… this is very you, Loki,” Tony couldn’t help but return Loki’s grin. “I didn’t realise you knew Etta James.”

“Some earth music is acceptable,” Loki said. “In no way compares with the old lemarque music that would delight the halls of Asgard.”

“Of course not,” Tony had never heard of this lemarque music and wasn’t in the mood to argue, not when his magic was performing such a sweet feat.

Although he suspected that once the magic had worn off, their fellow Asgardians would not be impressed to have been forcefully involved in Loki’s anniversary surprise. The muscles of the elderly man and woman currently pirouetting, with five others, around the town square, he was certain would not thank Loki for their ache from being so stretched.

“Yes, this is sweet,” the voice sounded above the singing. “But can we remove the magic so they can return to their important business?”

Loki sighed and let go of Tony. The impromptu dancers, singers and instrument players looked around themselves in bewilderment and clear embarrassment, before the hustle and bustle of rushing past each other restarted.

“You used to be fun!” Loki said to Valkyrie. “Maybe you need to hit the bottle again.”

“I’m fun!” Valkyrie protested. “Ruling new Asgard is a stressful job and you two aren’t exactly doing much to help me!”

Tony glanced down at a tiny red flower growing at his feet. Yes, he had to admit she was not wrong. Turned out that Loki was too distracted by amusing Tony and himself, to bother abut the intricacies of ruling, and Tony was too distracted in going along with him.

“We don’t need to be frantically running around as you do, to actively rule,” Loki said.

“Hm… well, how about we argue about what ruling entails later? We have a long-distance video call, from Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov and Scott Lang.”

“Who’s Scott Lang?” Both Tony and Loki asked at the same time.

“He said you’d say that. Come with me,” Valkyrie gestured to the slightly bigger dwelling beyond, that served at the new Asgardian palace.

*

Tony could tell the two-dimensional Steve from across the world now standing before him was serious. He’d shaved off his beard.

“You’re talking about time travel,” he said.

“No,” Scott, standing beside Steve said. “Ok fine, yes. We’re talking time travel.”

“Can’t be done,” Tony assured them. “There are too many variables. For one, how do we stop time from running _through_ the person travelling through time? They could easily turn older, or worse become a child or even a baby.”

“But you can do it,” Natasha stood on the other side of Steve. “Of all people. We need to try.”

“We did try. We lost,” Tony shrugged. “Now you want to go back in time and retake the stones? Can’t be done.”

“All we want to do is bring back those who have been lost,” Natasha said, directing her attention to Loki, standing beside Tony. “Loki, you can bring back Thor. Don’t you want to take that chance?”

_Oh, Natasha. We don’t say the T word around here._

Loki stiffened.

“Thor is dead. Tony isn’t. I’d prefer it that way. Thanos won. We have to accept it.”

“How have you two accepted it?” Steve asked. “By running away? We lost loved ones too. Bucky…” His handsome features collapsed. “Come back, guys. We miss you. Tony, Rhodey misses you.”

Loki clasped Tony’s hand. “I would prefer Tony be alive here than dead somewhere in the past. Because that’s what will happen. We will all die.”

“No, not this time,” Steve said. “This time, we win.”

“I’m sorry guys,” Tony gestured to Valkyrie to end the visual call.

“You’re not even going to try?” Valkyrie said, after pressing the exit button on the nearby laptop.

“There’s nothing to be done,” Tony said.

*

“You’re thinking about them,” Loki’s warm, supple naked body sat on Tony’s own naked lap, both facing out of the open balcony doors towards the ocean. Anyone on a high incline would be able to see the two on their favourite leather armchair. Fifteen minutes earlier, any potential voyeur would have been even more interested in their spirited antics on the same armchair, involving whipped cream, strawberries and plenty of lube. “You’re thinking you can resolve their little time travel problem.”

As usual, Loki had read his mind.

“I’ve been thinking it may be an interesting project to at least venture into.”

Loki spun his long legs around to face him.

“Tony, if I ever lost you…”

“I was given extended life by dormammu by virtue of Odin, remember?” Tony reminded him.

“But you can still be killed,” Loki said.

“That’s not going to happen,” Tony played with the silken raven strands of his hair, which turned blond, the features broadening, muscles rippling, until a Thor replica sat in his lap.

“Did you miss me?” The Thor replica asked.

“You miss him, Loki. Sure, you constantly irritated each other, as siblings are wont to do. And I know for a fact you miss watching the exact shade of red he turns when he is once again a victim of one of your pranks.”

The handsome face screwed up, before the hair darkened, grew curlier, so Bruce now sat in his lap. Tony’s heart clenched at the familiar sight.

“I always wondered…” The Bruce head moved forward, lips a hairbreadth from his own.

“No!” Tony pushed him back. “Handsome man but like a brother to me!”

Bruce-lookalike laughed and returned to Loki’s lovely physique. “You do miss him.”

Tony again plunged his hands in his hair. No, he didn’t want his mind to conjure Bruce in that moment, had not wanted to remember Bruce for five years. Every time the dark-haired man came into his brain barbed wire tightened around his heart.

“You’re a very pretty man, Loki…” He nuzzled his neck.

“It’s true it’s not as fun being mischievous in a world so somber and depressed. No one appreciates our humour any more.”

Tony pulled back. “I happen to think we’re hilarious!”

“Let’s make love right here on this chair once more. And then you can get to work,” Loki smirked.

*

Tony stood back from the spinning spherical object before him. He’d done it.

Of course he had, he was a genius. No one else could.

A shriek of laughter escaped his lips and he placed a hand over his mouth, brown eyes widening.

Time travel. A chance to bring everyone back. It would work.

Switching off the computer, he wandered down the hall and into the bedroom, where Loki lay, hand outstretched towards the door. Towards him.

“I did it, Loki,” he said.

Loki remained still and peaceful in his slumber. Climbing under the covers, Tony pulled the sleeping body on top of his, stroking his hair and down his naked back.

“We can bring them back, gorgeous. Maybe this time we won’t fail. Maybe I need to believe Steve was right.”

“Mmm…” Loki nestled further into Tony’s chest.

*

“This will take around ten hours,” Korg turned his rock head back from the jet’s control panel. “So take as much rest as you want. I don’t need to, on the account I’m mainly made of rocks.” He turned back to his pre-flight calculations.

While Loki and Valkyrie moved further into the jet’s cabin, to the snuggly seats already pulled out into beds, Tony took a moment to once more be amazed at all Asgard had to offer; a rock man who could fly a jet, winged horses. Beautiful mischievous demi-gods.

“Well, I for one don’t plan on sleeping,” Valkyrie said, as she lay down onto the bed. “I’m not even the least bit-“ the rest of the sentence was drowned out by loud cacophonous snoring.

“Tony, come here,” Loki, who was lying on the bed behind hers, gestured for Tony to come forward. Tony allowed his lover to grasp his shirt and pull him to his lips.

“I’m not tired either…” Tony said, climbing onto the bed. “Despite staying up all night.” He allowed himself to sink deeper into Loki’s warm embrace, Loki’s arms tight around his body, scouring heat onto his flesh.

“Good to hear,” Loki said, lips feather light against his chin. “There’s a certain club you humans talk about that I would like to try…” His voice crept away from Tony, falling into the background. “Tony?” Darkness swept over him, warm comfort, his lover so near, breath against his cheek. “Seriously, Tony?” Obvious irritation in his tone.

*

Tony snuggled closer to the warmth of his beloved, rubbing his usual morning erection against his flesh, as he nuzzled his ear, hair tickling his cheek.

“Tony…” Cool lips met his own, a hand pulling their torsos together, allowing Tony to feel Loki’s hardness against his own. A long leg wrapped around his waist.

“Can you guys not do that in front of me?”

The voice jolted Tony to full consciousness, as his brain recalled he wasn’t in his and Loki’s cottage in Norway, but miles up in the air, in a jet on the way to Avengers HQ.

“If you don’t want to watch,” Loki said, between wet kisses on Tony’s neck. “Go join Korg in the front cabin.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, Loki!” Valkyrie said. “Seriously, I’m not in the mood for any of your antics right now.”

Tony opened his eyelids, accustoming himself to the jet’s interior, as he gently pushed Loki back.

“As much as I’m an exhibitionist…”

Loki rolled his eyes and stood, reaching out his hand.

“Fine, we’ll go to the bathroom.”

“Might want to wait a while…” Valkyrie said. “Korg was just in there.”

Tony allowed Loki to pull him up by his hand and they walked over to the toilet and opened the door, the stench driving them back.

“Told you,” Valkyrie said, laughing.

“But… how? He’s made of rocks!” Tony said.

“I eat rocks,” Korg’s voice sounded from the front cabin.

“How does he even? Actually, I don’t want to know,” Tony said, to the bemusement of the two Asgardians before him.

*

Tony hadn’t reconciled how much he had missed Rhodey, until he stepped of the plane’s staircase, into a back-patting hug. Following Rhodey, he received Nat and then Steve’s embraces.

Him and Steve were now reconciled with each other, particular after Loki had been the one to work out how to resolve Bucky’s brainwashing. Analysing the stoic, dignified face, perhaps they never would be as closer as they were. Perhaps they never were that close, to begin with. They were, when it came down to it, very different. Opposites. Fresh in Tony’s mind was Steve’s initial distrust of Loki, long after others had become convinced the demigod was working in their interest. Or, more precisely, in the interest of Tony.

But now Bucky was gone. As with the others, had been gone for five years.

Steve’s beloved life partner. Tony didn’t bear to imagine what he would have done, had Loki been the one to turn to ash. Tear the world searching for answers, he suspected.

Sharp guilt pierced his stomach. For five years, he had given up, had embraced solitude with Loki, away from the truth of their failure.

“You okay, Tony? You were just deep in thought,” Steve said.

Tony forced a smile to uplift his lips. “Never better.”

As they made their way into the Avengers HQ, Tony was intrigued with how much smaller the interior was, than in his memory. Of course, everyone always remembered things as smaller than reality, including himself. He was tired of people remarking how he was ‘smaller’ than they had pictured.

“This will work, Tony,” Steve said.

“That’s what we said about confronting Thanos.”

As they neared the entrance, Nebula and Scott came out, the latter carrying a sandwich. Tony’s stomach growled. Yes, food was a good idea.

“Nebula, how are you?” Loki asked. In the drifting days after Thanos’s win, before they were rescued by Captain Marvel, Loki and Nebula had bonded over tales of how much they had despised their fathers. Turned out Nebula had more than good reason to, other than the obvious.

“I’m good now we have a plan,” Nebula replied.

“Yes, this will work,” Natasha’s mouth was set in a grim line.

*

The group walked together up the steps, to gather in a circle. The testing of the time travel machine had run smoothly. To Tony, this was a given. This was, after all, his design. They had successfully brought Clint back in the past, for an hour for him and ten seconds for them. The plan was then laid out as to where the infinity stones were and who was going back to collect them. Tony, Steve, Scott and Rhodey to 2012 New York to collect the three infinity stones there at that time, Loki and Valkyrie to Asgard to collect the reality stone, Rocket and Nebula to Morag to collect the power stone and Clint and Natasha to Vormir to collect the soul stone.  Now was the time to move forward. Moments before, Loki had pulled Tony and, oddly, Clint aside.

“Tony… I keep thinking about Doctor Strange’s sacrifice for you to live.”

“It’s obvious, Loki. I was meant to live, because I was the one to provide the technology for us to go back,” Tony said.

Loki frowned, glancing at Natasha.

“I’m too amazing to have anything happen to,” Tony said, grabbing Loki’s hand. “Hey...”

The shine in Loki’s eyes was disconcerting. Tony kissed his pale lips. “I’ll see you when we both return.”

Loki turned his attention to Clint.

“Clint… Natasha have done so much to repent for her past. I know when we first met-“

“Why are you saying this to me now?” Clint asked, frowning.

Loki’s reply was to once more glance at Natasha, who was standing three feet away, looking, with apprehension, in their direction.

“Because I vastly prefer her to you. You irritate me. Although your new revenge persona has been rather fun,” Loki said, with his usual bluntness. “Natasha is worth more, understand?”

Clint’s jaw unhinged in pure exasperation. “Wow! Thanks for the pep talk, Loki!” He scowled at Tony and Tony scowled back. Loki was his partner, sure, but he resented the implication in Clint’s scowl that he should be the one to rein Loki in, when he made such remarks. Loki was a free agent. Always had been.

Loki now stood in the circle with the others and nodded at Tony, a slight smirk uplifting his lips. Tony furrowed his brow. Loki’s smirk turned into a full smile.

As Steve monologued- he was good at monologuing, Tony had to admit, far better than himself and Loki, who would both make sure that most of the talk related back to themselves- Loki, standing opposite, caught Tony’s eye again and blew a kiss at him, grinning. Playing along, Tony kissed the back of his own hand. Steve continued to monologue, although Natasha, Clint, Rocket and Valkyrie were now watching Loki and Tony’s antics, as Loki kissed his wrist and flicked, causing a red rose to materialise in his hand.

“Loki!” Steve said, with a stern tone. “This is important, possibly one of the most important speeches I will ever make.”

Loki rolled his eyes, the flower turning into a black snake, which slithered along the ground. Scott screamed and jumped back.

“It was getting too serious, I thought I’d lighten the mood up!” Loki insisted, as the snake disappeared.

“This is serious!” Steve insisted. “Is everything a joke to you?”

“Yes,” Loki, Tony and Valkyrie said at once.

“Alright, let’s go,” Steve was clearly disgruntled.

“Well I thought the speech was great!” Scott said. “You were made for making speeches.”

“A bit too flowery for my taste,” Rocket said.

“I agree with Rocket,” Nebula said.

Steve rubbed his forehead. “Should we go? Good luck everyone.”

Loki blew another kiss at Tony, before his final focus rested on Natasha and Clint, standing beside each other. Tony noted Nebula also staring at the two ex-assassins, with a peculiar expression.

“Three. Two. One,” Steve said.

With no more time to consider both Loki and Nebula’s odd behaviour, Tony found himself being zapped through time and space, to a familiar destination.


	3. Chapter 3

New York city. 2012. Bloody destruction and straight out murder, courtesy of Tony’s now life partner. Although the Avengers had forgiven Loki for his ill deeds, returning  back, and viewing the panicked flee of pedestrians, zoom of the flying Chitauri firing their weapons along the ground, and the fall of crushing debris onto the packed streets below, Tony had to remind himself that _his_ Loki was not the same as the one he was soon to see again. This Loki yearned for power, was still fresh from his anguish of learning his true birthright, had been manipulated by Thanos and fallen from the rainbow bridge, to dimensions of mental tortures Tony, even with his brilliant mind, could not conceive of.

Tony was aware that even now, at times, others were confused as to why he picked Loki, of all of his potential selections, to be his partner. Returning to the very place that had caused him PTSD, he understood why.

But then he reminded himself how far Loki had come. Eight years had past and, in that time, Loki had been determined to make up for his foul deeds, Tony had always suspected more because of his love for himself over any genuine heartfelt remorse. It was true, also that Loki had developed a genuine friendship with some of the other Avengers; Bruce and Natasha in particular. Clint would always be wary of him, and rightly so.

_And let’s face it, you utterly adore that naughty little-_

_Keep to the plan, Tony!_

The voice sounded as Pepper in his head. She had survived the snap. For that, he was thankful. However, they never reconciled after their split. His fault, as always. It would have been gratifying to stay close friends but that simply wasn’t possible. The pain without her was initially terrible, but as time passed, it lessened to a dull ache, then to fond memories.

_Miss you, Pep. Hope wherever you are, you’re doing well._

“Over here,” Steve ordered, shaking Tony from his reveries by grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to an alcove nearby. Fresh rubble fell down, from yet another Chitauri ship flying overhead, just missing the heavily panting Scott, who sprinted over to his fellow Avengers.

“So, this is kind of awful,” Scott was ever the master of understatement.

Behind them, a barber was huddled behind his barber’s chair, with his customer, bearing half a shaved moustache, crouched beside him.

“We’re a tad early,” Tony said. “Aren’t the Chitauri meant to have already-?”

2012 Hulk stomped before them, picked up two nearby vehicles, and slamming them down to squash two Chitauri firing up at him. Upon seeing his friend again, Tony’s abdomen painfully clenched. 2012 Hulk then roared and pelted down the street, rumbling the ground beneath their feet.

“Yes, I believe we may-“ Steve began.

“Oh, here we go,” Tony said, as the Chitauri ships in their vicinity fell and hit the ground, smashing their occupants and causing more hazardous debris to fly out, from impact.

Steve and Tony cowered, as Scott turned small and jumped onto Tony’s shoulder.

“Better than the city being nuked, I guess,” Tony said, looking to Steve, who was now covered in dust. His brown eyes travelled down his own white time travel suit, noting that it too appeared the victim of Thanos’s snap.

“We need to take off the white suits,” Steve gestured around the corner, to a tiny alley bearing a large dumpster bin.

“They’re now more of a murky, sewerage brown,” Tony said.

All three walked into the alley and stood behind the bin to change.

“I’ve always wondered what you look like naked,” Tony teased Steve, as Scott jumped off his shoulder. Both peeled off their time travel suits, to reveal Steve’s Captain America outfit and a mocked-up Shield outfit for Tony.

“You don’t need to wonder what it feels to be at the end of one of Bucky’s fists, as you’ve already experienced that. He’s the only one who received the privilege of seeing me naked,” Steve replied.

“Ooh, harsh soldier,” Tony said. “Nice to see you haven’t lost your sense of humour while lost in the post-Bucky wilderness.”

“You’re missing one of those headgear these Shield guys are wearing,” Scott said. “Give me a sec.”

The tiny man ran off and was back moments later, full sized and carrying a Shield helmet.

“Why thank you Tiny Man,” Tony teased.

“Alright, let’s go,” Steve said. “By now they should be back in the tower to collect Loki.”

“Wonder how Rhodey’s doing obtaining the time stone,” Tony mused, as moved out of the alley and through the streets, rushing through the still disorientated populous.

“Hopefully better than us,” Scott’s voice, echoing through Tony’s eardrum, was a discombobulating experience.

“How does it even work for you?” Tony asked. “Wouldn’t your weight be disproportionately effected to the extent you’d weigh a tonne, or, conversely, wouldn't every movement send you flying up into the air?”

“I’m no scientist,” Scott said. “I just know it works.”

“Here we go,” Steve said. They had reached the Avengers tower. For the first time in a while, Tony’s heart galloped, his hands shaking, as adrenaline rushed out of his medulla, to course through his body.

_This will work. It has to._

With Steve beside him, and tiny Scott on his shoulder, Tony walked through the empty foyer and up the elevator to the top floor, where they entered, to find the Avengers surrounding 2012 Loki, in Tony’s now ruined entertainment room, thanks to Hulk’s rage.

“I think I’ll have that drink now,” Loki said.

_Well, if it isn’t his royal gorgeousity…_

With a lopsided dopey smile, Tony halted so suddenly that Steve ran into the back of him.

“That outfit really doesn’t do much for your ass,” he quipped, forcing his attention away from the one who would become his life partner, in the future. 2012 Steve thankfully moved and stood directly in front of the demigod, his ass in direct view.

“Hey, that’s America’s ass!” Scott said.

Before them, with his usual elegance, Loki stood and, as he was being taken away, turned briefly into Captain America.

_Ah yes, forgot he was a complete smartarse long before he met me._

In response to Loki’s teasing, 2012 Thor gagged him.

“I do prefer those lips uncovered,” Tony said. “And, to be honest, Loki’s current outfit doesn’t do much for his ass either. And what a lovely ass it is.”

“Remember, Tony, this isn’t your Loki. This one will kill any of us without a second’s thought,” Steve whispered.

As they continued to view the proceedings- 2012 Tony pouring Loki a Guinness and then laughing “Won’t be able to drink it now, will you? Thor you wanna remove that gag?” “I don’t think so”, followed by a grumpy Thor directing Loki away from Tony’s bar- the elevator doors opened and Steve gasped, as a dark haired man exited.

“Rumlow,” he whispered. “Bucky, could he be…?”

“We didn’t see him here in 2012, remember?” Tony reminded him.

“Yes, but he still could be here.”

“I can’t believe I’m being the one to say this, but stop being distracted by your partners and keep to the plan!” Scott ordered.

Tony glanced to Steve. The fact that the clench of his jaw didn’t cease the light tremor was proof of how much the sight of his ex-nemesis was affecting him.

“Scott is right,” Tony said. “We keep to the plan.”

2012 Steve handed the scepter to Rumlow and the Avengers piled into the elevator the Hydra agent had just stepped out of. Taking his chance, Tony stepped in with them. No one noticed him, but for 2012 Loki, who stared straight at him, with wide eyes. As much as he was aware that his current Loki did not enjoy being tied up or gagged in any way, Tony was thankful, in that moment, that 2012 Loki was gagged.

“Hulk want in!” Hulk demanded, standing before the elevator.

“No room! Go down the stairs!” Clint said.

“No, Hulk want in elevator!”

As the doors closed, with cuffed hands, 2012 Loki waved at Hulk, then turned back to Tony, glancing from the one to the back in the Shield outfit, to the one in the front. He settled on Future Tony, raising a brow, his blue irises glittering. For a moment, Tony was intrigued what Loki would do if he whacked him on the ass.

_Not your Loki, remember? I’m guessing even with the cuffs he could do a fair amount of damage._

The elevator doors opened and they all stepped out.

“Loki recognised you,” Scott said.

“Doesn’t matter, we stick to the plan,” Tony said.

Only, the plan didn't work.

Of course not, Tony was starting to wonder why they had considered to have the slightest chance of any of this ridiculousness working.

While the Avengers argued with Alexander Pierce over Loki, Scott was able to pull at a wire in 2012 Tony’s heart. This, in turn distracted the others, as he fell to the ground, in seeming cardiac arrest. Tony picked up the dropped tesseract and was briskly walking forward, when a cuffed hand reached out and grabbed his arm, Loki’s imploring blue eyes boring into his.

“Loki…” Tony’s stomach fluttered at the light fingers grasping him, the way the light streaming through the windows highlighted the blue flame of his irises.

Loki’s brow crinkled in clear confusion.

“It’s okay,” Tony reached over to pluck his hand off.

 In that instant, Hulk made an entrance, bellowing out his frustration at being made to take the stairs and knocking Tony aside, in the process. 2012 Loki jumped forward, picked up the tesseract and again looked at Tony, who could recognise his smirk, even beneath his gag, as he used the infinity stone to take himself away from the earth and from any punishment. Tony couldn’t say he blamed him.

But still, this did place a major dent in their plans.

_We are more screwed than twenty-five year old me after picking up those two body builders during my birthday party._

Meanwhile, in the chaos before him, Scott had replaced the wire in Tony’s heart moments before Thor used his hammer to whack Tony in the chest. Convinced he’d been the one to restart his heart, Thor cheered, before standing, the joy uplifting his handsome features dropping.

“Where’s Loki? Loki?!” Thor whirled around, his face frantic with concern and clear anger. “Loki?!”

“Come on, let’s go,” Tony said to Scott.

With the adrenaline rushing his veins now replaced by sludge, both made their way down the elevator and out of the building, finding an empty car parked in the street to sit in.

“What now?” Scott asked.

“I can’t believe Loki stole the tesseract. That little minx! I’m going to have words, when we come back,” Tony said, running a distracted hand through his hair.

“There you guys are!” The familiar voice sounded. Steve appeared at the car’s window. “What are you doing here? Do you have the tesseract? I managed to grab the sceptre… I feel so utterly dirty. Had to pretend to be part of Hydra. Had to fight my past self.”

“I’m impressed!” Tony said. “When we get back to Avengers HQ, you’ll have to give me every detail, preferably while I’m eating popcorn.”

“That does sound good. With butter,” Scott said.

 “Well, you have the tesseract?” Steve asked.

“For us it didn’t go so well…” Tony said.

“Why not?”

“Because Loki grabbed the tesseract and went who knows where in the universe.”

Steve sighed. “Congratulations, Tony. Your boyfriend just destroyed any chance we have of returning half the universe back.”

“2012 Loki isn’t my boyfriend, as you reminded me before!” Tony said, ruffled by Steve’s implication that he could somehow control any of Loki’s actions, in any universe or time.

“You’re right. I’m sorry, Tony. So, what do we do now?” Steve asked, leaning against the car door, in a dejected pose.

Tony bit his lip. “Well, we only have one shot to come back.”

“Two, remember?” Scott asked. “Loki insisted as a last precaution, in case something like this happened.”

“Of course!” Whacking his forehead, Tony clambered out of the vehicle. “Probably guessed his past self would do something to betray our plans in some way.”

“Tony, I’ve got to say, I’m surprised this demigod is your partner…” Scott said.

Ignoring him, Tony continued.  

“We go back to the past, maybe even pick up more particles from Hank Pym.”

“How do we do that?” Scott asked.

“Not you, us. 1970 should do it,” Tony said to Steve.

“What does that year have to do with-?” Scott’s bafflement was clear on his face.

“They would both be there, at the facility, at the same time,” Tony insisted.

“They would be, wouldn’t they?” A new light entered the bright blue with a speck of green irises.

“What are you both talking about?” Scott asked.

“Take this, go back,” Steve handed him the sceptre. “We put our suits back on. We go back in time.”

“I know we’re literally in the middle of time travelling,” Scott said. “But I’m still confused about the rules here.”

“Ten seconds, we’ll see you in the future,” Tony insisted.

*

“The green does bring out the green in your eyes,” Tony said to army uniformed Steve, as the elevator went down into the facility. “Look, I’m trying to make up for my former assholery. The Captain America costume wasn’t too bad. I’m sure your ass is-“

“My ass is perfectly fine, thank you! At least Bucky thought so,” Steve said.

Amused, Tony sniggered.

“So, I’ll get the Pym particles, you get the tesseract,” Steve said. “I’m glad Loki isn’t here to sabotage our plans even more.”

“But he has created an alternate timeline now. So that means 2012 Loki, as well as my Loki is travailing the universe. I doubt alternate Loki will be able to go back in time…”

“Unless he acquires the time stone,” Steve said. “Just use your Tony wiles on him if you see him, that should work.”

“That would be an interesting death,” Tony said, lips crinkling up, as the doors opened, to a broad corridor.

“Have fun!” Tony said, before the elevator doors closed.

The taking of the tesseract turned out to be surprisingly easy, with no interference from any potential Hydra soldiers, for which Tony was relieved. He wasn’t in the best mood for fighting nemeses, and, without any iron man suit, the fight would end within a shameful short time, with him decidedly not the victor. Plucking the tesseract from where it was being held in a store room of other important objects, Raiders of the Lost Ark style, Tony placed the blue glowing object in a briefcase and snapped it shut, when an announcement came over the PA system.

“All personnel to Area sixteen. Asset breach of containment.”

Tony’s heart disappeared into his stomach. Wasn’t that what they used to call the Winter Soldier? The Asset?

_Steve, you had better not be involved in this!_

Rushing back to the elevator, Tony pressed the button and drummed his fingers against his thighs, counting the numbers, as it rose to the top. The elevator ceased with a jolt and the lights switched off.

_Well, this is fant-_

A metal arm sliced through slit of the doors and slammed them open, with force.

_Ok, this isn’t good._

Bucky Barnes stood before him, eyes the blank slates of the Winter Soldier. Tony clutched the briefcase to his chest, legs shaking. With no iron man suit, he was physically no match for the soldier.

_Steve, if there is an afterlife-_

 A well-muscled leg came out from the side and Steve entered the fray, knocking Winter aside. Winter moved his attention off Tony and to Steve, kicking and punching at him, as Steve deflected his blows.

“Bucky, it’s me! It’s Steve Rogers!” Steve deflected yet another blow aimed at his delicate features.

_You complete imbecile!_

Tony flicked open the case and grabbed the tesseract out, prepared to grab Steve and use it, to get them away from there, when the door leading outside the room barged open and men bearing tasers aimed at Winter. As they fired upon Winter, jolting his body to and fro with dozens of electrical zaps from every direction, Tony shoved the tesseract back in the case, snapped it, grabbed Steve by his arm with bruising force and forced him back into the elevator, pressing the button and, with relief, noticing the light come back on, the doors closing shut once more.

“What were you _thinking_?” Tony asked.

All of the colour had drained from Steve’s cheeks. “I was grabbing the Pym particles, when I overheard two men talking about the Asset. I followed them. Bucky he was… they were torturing him. I had to release him, Tony.”

The defeat in the blue-green eyes dissolved Tony’s irritation. “What was your plan? Bring him back with us?”

“I know, it was a stupid, irrational move. I just wanted to stop them hurting him.”

“You almost jeopardized this entire operation! So, you can say we’re now even.” Tony clapped him on the back.

“I hope the others did better than we did,” Steve said. “What a mess! If all of us come back with the infinity stones, it will be a miracle!”

They reached the top of the facility and the elevator doors pinged open. Both stepped out into the blazing sun.

“I guess we’ll find out,” Tony said.

*

Arriving back at the Avengers HQ was less traumatic than departing it. This time, Tony didn’t have to resist the urge to vomit all over the ground, upon reaching their destination. Before them, Scott held the sceptre, Rocket held the space stone in it’s cover, the time stone in its locket hung around Rhodey’s neck, Valkyrie stood with (Tony’s stomach muscles loosened at the sight) Loki, who held the vial of the reality stone and Natasha held the soul stone. It took a moment for Tony to comprehend what was wrong, who was missing. As well as what was added.

Loki held the vial of the reality stone. Valkyrie held Thor’s hammer. It took a moment for the implications to cement in his mind. Nebula said the words as he opened his mouth.

“You wield Mjolnir.”

“I called for it in Asgard and it came to me. It turns out I’m worthy,” Valkyrie said, with a smug smile.

Tony looked around at the rest of the Avengers present. All were accounted for. Nebula stood beside Rocket, Steve beside himself.

No, not all were present.

“Where’s Clint?” Tony asked.

Natasha shook her head. “We fought each other for the soul stone. That’s how it works. A soul for a soul. I was willing to sacrifice myself. I almost got the upper hand. But Clint, Clint was so determined…”

Beside her, Loki took a deep breath.

Loki knew. Had Loki’s speech to Clint been the push, for him to justify his sacrifice?

“In order to obtain the soul stone, one must sacrifice who they love,” Loki said.

 “I would have done it,” Natasha wiped away a tear.

“We all would have made the same sacrifice,” Steve said.

“But I had so much to make up for!” Natasha insisted. “My sacrifice would have meant something.”

“You still can!” Loki said. “Clint’s ledger is also red with blood. More so than yours! I saw no remorse for his actions of late! Well, it’s true!” He said, to the both shocked and angered expressions of Steve, Rhodey and Natasha.

Loki waved her away. “Feel guilt if you must but you are still here and he is not. And that’s the way it is.”

“Wow you can be a real asshole, you know that?” Rhodey said.

“Maybe he is being an asshole, but what he’s saying makes sense,” Tony said.

“Because of course you’re defending him,” Rhodey spat.

“I think he’s right too,” Rocket said. “What do you think, Nebula?”

Before she could answer, Loki handed Valkyrie the vial, wielded a knife and placed it on Nebula’s neck.

“Loki! What are you doing?” Steve asked, as Tony gasped.

_Not my Loki, clearly._

In his other hand suddenly glowed the tesseract. Tony glanced down at the one in his hands.

“This isn’t Nebula. It isn’t our Nebula,” Loki said. “She’s from the past!”

“And which Loki are you?” Steve asked. “The Loki who stole the tesseract from 2012?”

“My past self escaped from the Avengers bearing the tesseract?” Loki grinned. “Not surprising but that must have sabotaged your plans. On behalf of my past self, sorry about that. But clearly it’s worked out for the best. No, I’m the Loki you all know. Tony, remember how you fell asleep on the jet over, before we could be intimate? That should convince you I’m me.”

Heat rushed Tony’s cheeks.

_Thanks for reminding me of that in front of everyone._

Tony cleared his throat. “It’s really him.”

He didn’t need to look at Rhodey to be cognisant of his bemused smile.

“I picked up this tesseract from Asgard. Remember, the tesseract was also in Asgard, as well as the reality stone in 2013?”

“So that’s where you disappeared to, after you spoke to Frigga!” Valkyrie said.

“Mother was raised by witches,” Loki said. “And apart from the usual felicitations upon seeing each other, she gave me two warnings. One was that in the future, Nebula would betray us. The Nebula I had the pleasure of meeting wouldn’t. Which means this one is from 2014, is probably leading Thanos to us right now!”

“Well, is this true?” Steve asked Nebula.

“It’s too late, he’s already coming. And, even with all of the stones, you’re all powerless!” 2014 Nebula spat.

“Let’s see if daddy can find you in a lonesome planet out in space!” Loki said, vanishing with the tesseract.

“Loki!” Tony threw his arms up into the air, with exasperation.

_And now a second Loki has disappeared to who knows where with a tesseract._

For a moment, no one spoke.

“Wow, so much to unpack there,” Tony said. “Clint is really gone?”

Natasha nodded.

“Loki, he knew, didn’t he? So did Nebula. Loki told Clint to sacrifice himself.”

“In his own way, yes,” Tony agreed.

“Well, that wasn’t his choice," Natasha said.

“I’m not usually the one to defend Loki, as you all know, but this time he wasn’t mentally controlling Clint,” Steve said. “Clint made his own choice.”

Natasha wiped a tear from her cheek. “I don’t judge people by their worst actions. That’s what I told him.”

“Neither do we, neither does Loki,” Tony said.

“It would be a bit hypocritical if Loki did that,” Rhodey pointed out.

“Listen, it’s really sad that Clint? Clint is dead, but I’m more concerned about Nebula. Our Nebula was starting to grow on me,” Rocket said.

“There’s nothing we can do about that,” Steve said, bearing the same glum expression as Natasha, looking around at all of the infinity stones. “When we took on this task, we knew there would be sacrifices. Maybe we should put the stones together and work out who wields the gauntlet.”

*

After careful, precise motions, the infinity stones now fitted back into the gauntlet.

“Now we decide who puts it on… and most probably dies in the process. I wish Captain Marvel would come back… would make it a hell of a lot easier…” Tony said. “And where has Lok-?”

In a flash, said demigod returned, no longer with Nebula, but with two others.

The first appeared to be a combination of the Hulk and Bruce together, with bright green flesh and glasses on his big head. The second was a version of Tony, only a Tony who had gained at least a hundred pounds.

“I dropped alternate Nebula off on a lovely resort planet many millions of light years away,” Loki explained. “And I’d like to introduce Professor Hulk and Tony, from an alternate universe.”

A tense silence permeated the room.

“Wow…” Scott whispered.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to any Clint fans. There was always going have to be a sacrifice, even in this fic. Like Loki, I prefer Natasha to Clint.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who are reading/sending kudos/favouriting/writing comments.  
> This will be a shorter fic, one more chapter to go! :)

_Loki’s done it; he’s managed to return Bruce… well not the Bruce I knew exactly…but close enough._

Even though this was not the Bruce Banner he had the extreme pleasure of being friends with, Tony was still elated by the presence of the one before him, enough to engulf the giant green man in a warm hug. He pulled back, as Alternate Tony also did the rounds, hugging baffled Rhodey, dour Natasha and stoic Steve.

“You’re not my people but I missed you all… You I don’t know…” Alternate Tony said, to Rocket and Scott, standing together on the other side of the room.

“That’s fair,” Rocket said.

Scott threw his hands up in the air. “Do _any_ of the Tony Stark’s in any dimension know who I am? Didn’t you engage in the whole airport debacle with Bucky and Steve?”

Alternate Tony’s brown eyes were blank a moment, before being suffused with memory and emotion. “Oh yes, you grew big!”

“Finally!” Scott clapped his hands.

Alternate Bruce, meanwhile, was also doing the rounds, hugging the ones he knew. Alternate Tony came up to Tony. Identical brown eyes moved up and down each other’s bodies.

_So, this is Fat me. Not too bad. Still have such a handsome face. That will never go._

“So, you’re me. You managed to avoid middle aged spread. Good for you,” Alternate Tony said.

Loki glanced at the gauntlet bearing the stones and then moved forward to take Tony’s hand, as his magic once more hid the tesseract on his own body, by appearing to meld it within himself. Standing with his demigod partner in the presence of the six infinity stones, Tony appreciated Loki’s power, in a way he never had before. Loki had wielded both the tesseract and the sceptre- the space stone and the mind stone concurrently, and had also been in the presence of the reality stone on Asgard. Although Loki often displayed his talent for illusions and trickery, mainly for his and Tony’s amusement, he tended to refrain from using the full extent of his power. Perhaps it was that he preferred to not broadcast the magnitude of his abilities, in order to surprise his enemies. Even in combat, Tony noticed that he tended to favour hand to hand first, before progressing to his magic.

In response to Tony’s clear appraisal, Loki raised a querying right eyebrow. Alternate Tony also flicked his eyes towards Loki. Tony shook his head, ruffled Loki’s hair and whacked him on the ass.

“I was tempted to do that to 2012 you,” he whispered in Loki’s ear.

“2012 me probably would have liked it,” Loki turned his head and whispered back, pecking Tony on his lips.

_Somehow, I doubt that._

“Scared the bejeesus out of me when he just appeared in my lounge room,” Alternate Tony said, gesturing to Loki.

“Why do this?” Rocket stomped to stand before Loki, placing his hands on his hips. “What was the damned point?”

“I’m rather curious, too,” Bruce admitted. “Not that I’m not grateful to have left our decimated universe.”

“Thanos destroyed your universe as well?” Natasha asked. Tony observed that she was still rather pale.

“He snapped his fingers and destroyed everyone. The only ones left were us two,” Bruce said, nodding at his obese counterpart.

“ _All_ the other Avengers died in the snap?”

Bruce moved to stand beside his friend, placing a large green hand on his shoulder. “Everyone we knew.”

“Carol Danvers survived,” Alternate Tony said. “She stayed long enough to transport me back to Depressionville Earth before taking off again. Can’t blame her for wanting to make a quick getaway from our tragic planet.”

“I’m so sorry,” Natasha said.

“I’m a bit confused as to what’s happening here,” Scott said. “Why are you here?”

“In Asgard, I spoke to my mother,” Loki began.

“Yep, already gone through that,” Rocket said.

“We won’t be able to wield the stones, not even with all of our collective might,” Loki explained.

 “There’s no choice. It has to be me,” Bruce said. “I can withhold the gamma rays, am the most powerful Avenger. I can wield the gauntlet. If you want your people back, I can do it.”

“Sounds good to me,” Scott said.

_Ah…_

Comprehension dawned on Tony, and he wrapped an arm around Loki’s shoulders, the pride that already welled within him for his partner now overflowing.

Without words, Loki had gone out to seek an alternate Bruce, to use the gauntlet to bring the others back. Smart little demigod. Of course, it made sense for him to be Tony’s partner.

“Wait, let’s discuss this,” Rhodey said.

“This Bruce is right,” Natasha said. “There can be no other way.”

“So, we’re just going to trust the handling of the infinity gauntlet to some random who literally just appeared?” Rocket asked.

“What choice do we have?” Steve piped in.

“I promise,” Bruce said. “We both lost so much on our earth. I just want to do what’s right.”

Rhodey then turned to Loki. “What the hell did you say to him, to convince him to come here and do this?”

“They’ve already explained it. I don’t feel the need to go over it again,” Loki said.

“Look at me and look at him,” Alternate Tony pointed to his slimmer double. “That should tell you of the crapshoot our world has become.”

“So, you got fat? That’s it?” Rocket asked.

“The fat is more of a metaphor, which you’re clearly not getting,” Alternate Tony said.

“We can argue, or we can reverse the snap. What do you all say?” Natasha’s voice rose an octave.

“Alright, alright, if you say there is definitely no other alternative,” Rocket grimaced.

“There’s no other alternative,” Bruce said, with determination.

“You must have given them both some blowjob,” Rocket said to Loki, causing the hand in Tony’s to tighten.

_Charming, Rocket._

“The fact _that_ came to your mind as to the reason for us coming here says more about _you_ ,” Alternate Tony said, provoking laughter from Loki.

“Okay, that’s more than fair,” Rocket shrugged.

Alternate Tony grinned at Tony, who decided he liked this version of himself; a little more sad and bitter but no less amazing.

“Alright, let’s do this then,” Tony said.

Bruce stomped over where the gauntlet lay, with the stones carefully inserted.

“Here we go.”

All of the air sucked out of the room, as Bruce placed the infinity gauntlet onto his hand. Instantly, his body jolted with clear agony, and he screamed and shuddered, as though an electric shock zapped through his green frame.

“He should take it off!” Rhodey yelled.

“No, I can do it, I can…” With shuddering fingers, Bruce brought his thumb and middle finger together. His arm glowed bright red, then black. He clicked and then fell to the ground, toppling the infinity gauntlet down beside himself. Natasha, Rhodey, Steve, Alternate Tony and Tony rushed forward, as Loki, Valkyrie and Scott moved towards the window.

“Birds…” Scott said.

A buzzing sounded. Tony glanced up, to a mobile phone sitting on a nearby counter, alight with a call.

“Whose mobile?”

Natasha swallowed. “It’s Clint’s.”

She stood and walked over to the mobile, picked it up and answered.

“Hello? Yes, it’s Natasha. No… can I call you back later?” She placed the mobile back down and turned back to them, the collapse of her face aging her by ten years. “It was Laura, asking about Clint.”

Every member of the room bore the same expression of hope, intermingled with excitement and trepidation.

Could it be true? After five years, and the sacrifice of Clint, could they have finally brought back the vanished? Tony could read, in all of their faces, the names of those who had been lost. Loki’s hand trembled in his own. Though he had not spoken the name in five years, there would be only one demigod coming forward in Loki’s mind.

“Bruce!” Alternate Tony laughed, hugging his friend. “We did it-“

With no warning, the missile hit the headquarters, toppling the building down on top of its occupants.

Tony found himself being slammed down into the earth, further further, dirt and concrete piling on top of him. He reached his hand up and his iron man suit zoomed towards him, slamming into his body before pushing him up, the rocket powered feet pushing him out of the still falling debris, away from the raging fires. He couldn’t at that point consider who had lived, who had died. His mind was only focused on getting to Loki, to reassure himself Loki was not injured… or worse.

“Loki!’

“I’m here!” Following the cultured voice, Tony discovered him lifting a heavy metal beam off the fallen Alternate Tony. Tony helped Loki throw the beam off his seeming uninjured double and pressed a button on his suit. A second iron man suit flew through the air and slammed itself around the Alternate Tony, creaking in places and expanding, to allow for the excess girth.

“Thanos, has to be,” Loki said.

Tony was forced to lift Loki out of the harm of falling debris and fires, as they rushed towards the direction of the entrance, away from the carnage. Breaking free of the now distorted, burning doors, the three stopped at the top of the incline, where Steve and Valkyrie also stood, facing down into the field below. At the base, Thanos sat on a rock, bearing a glum expression, as though waiting out a doctor’s visit.

“I guess he’s expecting the infinity gauntlet to come to him,” Valkyrie said, holding Thor’s hammer in her hand. “This time, can I be the one to lop his head off?”

“Be my guest,” Loki said.

The two Tonys, Steve, Loki and Valkyrie walked forward as one. Thanos continued to sit, content in his surroundings, to monologue. Tony mentally zoned out. Yes, yes, he was aware that in the future, he would win and destroy half the universe. Yes, he was aware this was their attempt to rebalance things.

Oh, so his plan was now to destroy the entire universe and create a new one in his image? Yawn… typical villain’s playbook.

Tony was about to say he’d had enough, when Valkyrie swung the hammer towards Thanos’s massive purple visage. He ducked, slammed his fist into Valkyrie’s jaw and fight was on. Valkyrie caught the hammer and slammed it towards him again, as the two Tonys moved forward, as well as Steve and Loki. Steve didn’t last long initially, as Thanos threw him back to knock his head on a rock on the ground. Alternate Tony was the next to go down, slamming his head against the earth hard enough to likewise knock him out.

Concussion city! Tony thought, as he powered his way towards Thanos once more. Loki was doing better, throwing illusion after illusion on Thanos, disappearing in and out of sight before the titan could grab him, and creating images of his daughter, Gamora, which only served to enrage him further. He grabbed Tony, and slammed him so hard against the ground that his helmet shattered, his head exploding in pain. Tony felt about his skull, thankful for no blood on his fingers, or signs of fracture.

Valkyrie screamed and once more ran forward. Thanos bodily lifted her and threw her so far back she went back through what was left of the entrance of the now burning, destroyed Avengers HQ. Loki was now the sole one fighting him. An image of Nebula appeared before Thanos, who grabbed her by the throat and held her up.

“This time, there will be no resurrections,” he said, as Nebula changed back to Loki.

Loki’s alabaster skin was discolouring purple, as he clawed at his neck.

“No!” Tony cried out, his brain dazed, murky, as though he was swimming in muddy water, but he had to get to his beloved.

No, this couldn’t happen, not now. Not when they had survived so much. He’d give anything, do anything…

A yellow, dazzling light swirled above Loki’s head, was that the fabled Valhalla?

“Loki!”

_Please, no no._

A mass of great muscles and luscious blond hair flew out of the portal of light towards Thanos, stormbreaker raised high, as an Asgardian voice screamed “Let go of my brother!”

“Finally, a worthy combatant!” Thanos threw Loki aside, where he lay on the ground and was still.

As Thor fought ferociously against Thanos, slamming stormbreaker into him again and again, as Thanos used his fists against him, Tony’s priority was reaching his beloved. He crawled over, taking Loki’s pulse. The strong thump of his heart beat was the most delightful music beating Tony’s drumbone, perhaps as beautiful as the lemarque music Loki had spoken of. Gathering his beloved up, Tony kissed his forehead.

“Thor…” Loki murmured.

Before them, Thanos bodily lifted Thor and threw him down, lifted him up and threw him down again.

“No, Thor!” Loki screamed, struggling to stand, as Thanos raised his fist high above Thor’s head.

In that instant, Valkyrie re-emerged, as Steve also stood.

“Thor!” She cried out, throwing the hammer. It whirled around Thanos and landed back-

-In Steve Rogers’ hand.

“I knew it!” Thor said.

“Thor!” Loki now no longer cared about the fight between Steve and Thanos, and rushed to Thor’s side, placing his arm around him, to help him up.

“It must have been a long five years, brother,” Thor said.

Alternate Tony groaned and Tony sprinted over to him, as Steve and Thanos threw blow after blow at each other.

“Well, that was embarrassing,” Alternate Tony said. “Thanks for the suit, by the way. Good to see you fixed the weight problem of the mark sixteen.”

“Do you believe you will win?” Thanos said, throwing Steve down and placing a foot on his chest. “My army will destroy your world.”

In the distance, thousands, tens of thousands of soldiers appeared on the edge of the horizon. Upon seeing them all, Tony’s bowels turned watery. There was no possible way they could defeat all of them. Surrender, however, was not an option.

_When I die, I’m going to beg to be let into Valhalla._

The voice that then sounded, in the darkness, warmed Tony’s innards with its familiarity.

“Until the end of the line, Steve.”

A swirling light appeared in the field between Thanos and his army and Bucky emerged, with Sam beside him.

Yes! Tony resisted the urge to cheer.

“On your left, soldier,” Sam said.

Thanos took his foot off Steve’s chest and stepped back, as more of the vanished people appeared, emerging under the wormholes of the Doctor Strange and his fellow wizards. Tony looked across the field in astonishment, as thousands of men and women materialised. He saw Doctor Strange, T’Challa and his people of Wakanda, Wanda Maximoff. All of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Peter Parker.

Thousands of people, to battle against Thanos’ army. Thanos continued to stumble back.

_Not prepared for this were we?_

A roar sounded and Giant Man crashed through the roof of the Avengers HQ, bearing Natasha, Rhodey and Hulk with him.

“So, I’m thinking this was what Doctor Strange saw,” Tony said.

Beside him, Alternate Tony grinned. “Time to fight.”

And fight they did, the two armies clashing together.

 At one point, when all seemed lost, the firepower of the Chitauri ships firing upon the ones on the ground, Captain Marvel came into the fray. Tony’s relief at seeing her overcame any initial irritation he’d had that she didn’t appear earlier. With Alternate Tony, he was tearing through a section of Thanos’s army with his iron man suit, when he caught Steve using Thor’s hammer to chop of five heads of Chitauri descending on Bucky, before grabbing the ex Winter Soldier and yanking him into a passionate kiss, in the middle of the battle field.

_Please, guys, there will be time for intense rough post battle making out later._

Steve and Bucky disentangled and continued to fight those near them.

Tony reached Peter Parker, who was a little bloody but whole, unharmed-

“Tony, I was not well and then I was on the planet and Doctor Strange said we had to come here and five years had passed.”

-Still bearing the slight irritation that teenagers always caused Tony.

Tony pulled him into an embrace. When they released, Peter asked.

“Is that… your twin?”

Tony turned, to Natasha throwing the infinity gauntlet to Alternate Tony, who threw it to T’Challa.

“I suspect they’re trying to get it back to Scott’s time travel machine.”

“Time travel?” Peter asked.

“Long story.”

“I can help!” Peter rushed forward.

Tony moved to join him, fearing for his safety, when more Chitahuri surrounded him. He managed to punch and kick his way through, to Nebula fighting alongside her sister, Gamora.

“You’re…”

“I’m not the Nebula from the past. My father held me captive, sent my double here to betray you,” Nebula explained.

“Good to see you back,” Tony said, meaning every word.

An explosion sounded behind them and all three spun around, to view the time travel machine on fire.

“That’s… not good…” Tony said.

Worse, Thanos had acquired the gauntlet again. Captain Marvel was on his back, attempting to stop him from clicking his fingers, as Thor, Wanda and Loki endeavoured to force him down from the other side.

“Is this how it ends?” Tony asked Doctor Strange.

“This is how it was always going to end,” Doctor Strange said.

_But what does that even mean?_

Tony rushed forward to Thanos. He had to stop him from clicking his fingers. That was when he noticed what Thanos hadn’t. The infinity stones had fallen out of the gauntlet. Thanos threw Thor, Loki, Wanda and Captain Marvel off him and Tony looked to Doctor Strange.

He understood what he had to do. There was only going to be one ending, one solution. Thanos had to be stopped, at all cost. His mind went to Heimdall, Vision, Bruce. Clint. All had sacrificed themselves for this cause, so others would live. His eyes fell upon Loki, his beloved. They were meant to live out the rest of their long lives together. Loki believed in an afterlife, in his Valhalla. Would Tony join him there? He would discover the answer, soon enough.

Loki’s face had lost all of the blood, lending its hue a sickly grey.

“No, Tony.”

“I’m sorry, Loki. It has to be done.”

“Oh, how sweet, Tony Stark wants to play hero?” Thanos said. “It’s too late. It will always be too late; I will always win.”

He clicked his fingers. Frowned, clicked his fingers again. Tony dove for the infinity stones, only to discover them missing.

“This isn’t for you, Tony, but for me.”

Tony spun around, to Alternate Tony standing behind him, the infinity stones on his own iron man glove.

“I have nothing left in my own world. But here, I can save this one. I am Tony Stark.”

He clicked his fingers.

All around them, Thanos’s army crumpled to ash, the great ships falling to the ground and dispersing as they fell. Thanos, himself, sat down and waited, with a serene expression, as he too succumbed to Alternate Tony’s wish.

Alternate Bruce rushed forward, to the alternate dying Tony.

“Tony…”

“It’s okay, this is right. This is just,” Tony said, before his brown eyes became vacant, his pallor turning the creamy white of death.

Alternate Bruce gripped him by his shoulders and wept into his chest.

With his mind dazed, as though he’d been whacked a good one by Thor’s hammer, Tony turned, to Doctor Strange standing before him.

“Was this what you saw?”

“I saw the iron man glove bearing the stones, I had no idea it would be a Tony from another dimension.”

“Loki…” Tony walked over to his lover. “How did you-?”

Sharp pain exploded in his jaw, as Loki socked him one. “Okay, I deserved that.”

“You were going to sacrifice yourself, Tony! I knew it! I knew as soon as Doctor Strange gave up the time stone that he had in mind some ridiculousness like this and you’d fall for it!”

“Yes, to save the universe! And don’t talk to me about sacrifice, Mr. I Went at Thanos with a Puny Dagger!”

Loki’s cheeks had discoloured bright red. “In Asgard, I had to seek out my mother, even though it was difficult to bear the anguish of seeing her again, because she would have the knowledge of the perfect dimension for a replacement Tony so I wouldn’t have to suffer your demise!”

“Loki, come here,” Tony said, jerking him forward into his embrace.

“Let go of me, Tony!” Loki struggled and Tony released him. “Now I feel the fool, because I deducted your sacrifice from Doctor Strange’s actions and even then, I still almost lost you, after all of my conniving to find a replacem-“

Tony grabbed him once more into his arms, plunging his fingers in his hair.

“Damn, I love you,” Tony said.

Loki’s lips were ferocious on his, teeth digging into his lips, hands tugging at his hair.

“So,” Tony said, as both released, to a calmer Loki. “You managed to manipulate both alternate me and Clint, to sacrifice themselves, so me and Natasha would live.”

“Someone had to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. I wanted to be certain it wasn’t anyone I preferred to stay.”

Tony looked down at his dead double. “Interesting day.”

Before them, Steve and Bucky’s lips were glued to each other’s. Thor came up and placed an arm around Loki’s shoulders.

“Ah it’s good to be back… Tony. Alternate You appeared to enjoy his food as much as I do!”

Peter also came forward. “We’re back. It’s finished. I can’t believe it.”

Tony surveyed his surviving comrades; Steve was still liplocked with Bucky, Natasha stood before where Thanos had sat to die, staring down at the ashy ground, Scott was embracing his returned partner Hope, Rocket had been lifted in the air, and was being embraced by Groot. Nebula stood awkward beside the other Guardians, all bearing similar dazed expressions, with Gamora nowhere to be seen. She caught Tony’s eye and nodded. Rhodey moved to stand beside Natasha, placing a hand on her shoulder, and Valkyrie moved to stand beside her on the other side.

“Loki!” Thor’s irritated voice sounded, followed by Loki’s laughter. “Will you ever change?”

Tony turned his head, to notice the snake that had slithered around Thor’s neck disappearing.

“I was so overjoyed at your return, I wished to give you a present,” Loki said.

“I do enjoy snakes, but not boa constrictors around my neck!”

Of course, Loki would always want to annoy his brother, even after mourning for him for five years.

But everything else would change.

The Avengers would be no more. Could be no more, in the new, post snap world. Tony had the instinct that everything would be different now.

This was right, this was just.

Wrapping his arm around Loki’s waist, his eyes once more fell on his downed double.

This could have been him, perhaps was meant to be him.

Tony intended to not let this sacrifice be dishonoured.

 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

The funeral was a small affair. Clint would not have wished for a grand spectacle. Once the dirt was thrown on the coffin and the undertaker lowered the simple oaken casket into the ground, the small crowd dispersed. Tony expected Natasha to stay. However, she was one of the first to leave, as though the noxious smell of death that permeated the air seeping into her lungs was determined to settle into her cells to cause malignancy there. Wanda and Maria went with her, following, in quick succession, by Laura and Clint’s children, Fury, Steve, Bucky, Scott, Sam and Thor. Loki squeezed Tony’s shoulder before following his brother. With Clint never entirely forgiving Loki for his imprisonment of mind, Tony suspected Loki had attended the funeral more for Tony’s sake, over any true desire to see Clint at peace.

Tony and Professor Hulk now stood at the grave, looking down as dirt was being shovelled onto the coffin. The large urn Bruce bore in his hands, containing Alternate Tony’s ashes, glinted in the fading sunlight.

“So much death and destruction. Why did this have to happen, in more than one universe?” Bruce asked.

Tony’s mind went back to the moment Thanos acquired the reality stone, whence him and Loki were thrown momentarily into a universe in which Loki had been killed by Thanos aboard the refugee ship.

“Because Thanos is an ass in every parallel dimension,” Tony said.

“The Clint in my universe, he would have done the same thing,” Bruce said. “He would have made the sacrifice. Terrible thing that happened,” he shook his head.

Tony gave him a gentle pat on his large green arm. “Humans are back! Back to terrible reality tv shows and destroying our eco system… Maybe we made a huge mistake.”

Bruce frowned down at the urn, gripping the handles tighter. “I’ll miss him. Even though he’s you. He’s not you. You still thinking of spreading the ashes in the new Asgard?”

“A year ago, I would have said no. But now, for me, yes, I think it would be fitting. New civilisation being built. New world. Alternate me would like that.”

A sad smile ghosted the big lips. “Let’s go inside.”

They stepped away from the wide oak tree encroaching its shadowed branches over the freshly dug mound of earth, and moved through the meadow with bright purple wildflowers, the fading light still warm on their backs, bees buzzing around Tony’s knees. Clint couldn’t have picked a better day to be laid to rest.

Reaching the house, they stepped up onto the porch and into the front door, continuing through the dim passageway into the much airier lounge room.

“Only I can hold the hammer,” Thor, seated on the lounge chair, said to the ogling eyes of Cooper and Nathaniel, on the floor in front of him. “Only I am worthy.”

Loki, seated on a nearby armchair, rolled his eyes. “How dreadfully boring. You two don’t want to be boring like Thor, do you? You can hold a heavy hammer, or do magic.”

Thor’s hair turned into luscious green curls that ran down over his shoulders, as the children laughed and clapped.

“Very funny, Loki!” Thor growled, to Loki’s smug expression and Bucky’s laughter, coming from the armchair on the opposite side to Loki.

In the other corner, Scott was deep in conversation with Fury, Sam and Maria. Natasha and Wanda sat with Laura and Lila, Natasha lending a comforting hand on the partner of her greatest friend, who had made the ultimate sacrifice.

“Doesn’t seem real, does it?” The voice sounded behind Tony. He turned, to Steve moving to stand beside him.

Before them, an illusion of a bright pink fairy, powered by iron man legs, flew around the room, to the oohs and aahs of the children,. Thor had his arms crossed and, judging by the downturn of his scowl, was rather put out.

“We won but…”

Tony noted the dark circles under Steve’s eyes.

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this, Tony. To be honest, I don’t think I was ever cut out to be an Avenger, not entirely.”

“I know for a fact _I_ wasn’t meant to be an Avenger. There were a serendipitous series of events, for a long while we did get lucky,” Tony admitted. “But with everything that has happened…”

Bucky stood up from the lounge chair and came over to peck Steve on his lips.

“There you are. You okay?” His blue eyes twinkled with concern.

“Better now you’re here,” Steve admitted.

Tony nodded at Steve and stepped over to the buffet table. Natasha and Wanda had moved over also and were picking at the finger food. Tony opened his mouth to speak, when Fury appeared alongside them.

“Have you given any thought to my suggestion?” Fury asked.

“Work for Shield again?” Natasha asked, forehead furrowing.

“You wouldn’t be working for Shield. Shield doesn’t exist. You’ll be working for me.”

“Hm…I’ll think about it,” Natasha’s smirk already told Tony the answer was in the affirmative.

*

Two funerals within three days. Alternate Tony’s also a small affair. Tony’s heart clenched at the small gathering. For his funeral, he wanted everyone in the damned galaxy to come, even parallel people. Gathered around the river at the forefront of the small fishing village that now housed New Asgard were himself, Loki, Thor, Professor Hulk, Natasha, Scott, Valkyrie, Steve, Bucky, Sam and Wanda.

“Here we go…” Tony opened the urn and allowed the wind to scatter the ashes over the peaceful still water, causing the nearby ducks to scurry out of the way.

Loki nudged his ribs and allowed a ghost of a smile to creep on his lovely face. Tony smirked back. If Alternate Tony was closely aligned with himself, in whatever afterlife he dwelled, he would be displeased at the turn out but pleased by the pleasant weather and loving speeches by his alternate self and Valkyrie, who was a surprising good public speaker.

“You did well, alternate buddy,” Tony whispered, watching the sinking sun twinkle on the calm water. “You did really well.”

*

“My alternate will still be out there, you realise,” Loki mused, watching Professor Hulk and Tony make last minute adjustments to the time travel van. “Steve and Bucky will be going back to the nineteen seventies to place the stones there, not 2012 where my double stole the tesseract again and left.”

“The concept of another Loki out there causing mischief gives me no end of joy,” Tony stepped back to take a last second glance over the control panel.

“Natasha will certainly be keeping an eye out for him… and any mischief he may cause,” Professor Hulk said, referring to Natasha accepting Fury’s job offer, as a ‘protector’ of sorts of earth. She was already in the process of gathering other superheroes, as Doctor Strange, Peter and Wanda, to help her in her efforts.

“Alternate Loki will welcome the challenge,” Loki said.

“We going?” Bucky danced from foot to foot, in eager fashion.

“Eager little beaver, aren’t we?” Tony grinned. “Okay… ten seconds…”

Bucky and Steve grinned at each other and stepped into the van.

Silence.

Ten seconds passed. Eleven seconds. Twelve.

“Alright, they should be back… Where are they? Did something go wrong?” Professor Hulk said, checking the machine.

With his heart pounding, Tony rushed over.

“It’s alright, we’re here!” Steve walked out of the tree line, with Bucky beside him. Both were out of their time travel outfits and wearing casual jeans and t-shirts. Steve bore the Captain America shield in his right hand.

Both had aged fifty years.

_Well… damn… You rapscallions!_

“So, what happened?” Bruce demanded.

“We did place the stones back… We decided to stay a while longer… One year became two years exploring the nineteen sixties…” Steve said. “And then we just… stayed…”

“I always told you you needed to explore more of your wild sex drugs and rock n roll side,” Tony said.

“Oh no, we visited sacred temples, climbed high peaks…We weren’t involved in the hippy culture at all!” Steve insisted.

“How unsurprising…” Tony rolled his eyes.

“How charming for you two to explore yourselves while your alternates were committing such atrocities as killing Tony’s father and being tortured!” Loki pointed out.

“Loki…” Tony warned.

“We tried to intervene… We really did!” Bucky said.

“It wouldn’t have worked. Paradox,” Bruce explained. “The future is set.”

“Except for me, I managed to mess with the timelines…” Loki pointed out.

“Yes, well you’re special…” Tony ruffled his hair and kissed his right temple.

“So, no more Captain America… Imagine needing to change your continence pad in the middle of a battle,” Tony joked.

“Hilarious, Tony!” Steve said. “Actually, we did think of that…” He tapped the shield he was holding in his hand and handed it to Sam. “This is for you.”

“Really?” Sam took the shield off him with wide eyes.

“Really,” Steve smiled and took Bucky’s hand. “I’d suggest going to Natasha… She’s willing to start putting together another Avengers team.”

Sam glanced at Steve and then at Bruce, who nodded, then turned his attention towards Tony, Loki and Thor, in succession. Thor was frowning and staring into the distance. Tony and Loki caught eyes and Tony could already read his lover’s answer.

_But it won’t include us, will it?_

*

Tony groaned, bouncing up and down on the fiery column that slammed against the little nub inside him, spiralling ecstasy around his body. He was close… so close…

Loki gripped his hips and called out his name. As the cool of his come splashed inside him, Tony allowed himself to go over, crying out as his body shook with extreme passion, his own come splashing over his own stomach.

“Alright… sleep now…” Tony said, between pants.

Loki reached up and curled his hand around his neck, pulling him down for a lingering kiss, sliding out of his body.

“Crazy time of late huh?” Loki said, smiling.

Tony pecked his lips and settled down on his warm stomach, pulling the blankets up over them both.

They had won but everything was different now. Although Alternate Bruce was similar to his counterpart, he simply wasn’t the Bruce Banner/Hulk Tony had known and loved. Even with all of his troubles with Steve, he was now living a different, older and much warranted pleasant twilight year life with his Bucky. He sensed even the newly back from the dead Thor was aware of the new world, of which he was not a complete part.

“We never fit in here, did we?” Tony said, popping his chin on Loki’s chest, to stare up at him. Loki stroked his hair.

“With all my talk of ruling… This isn’t my Asgard, this is Valkyrie’s, as pained as I am to admit it. She is a great ruler,” Loki said. “We were biding our time until we could bring everyone back again. I always believed in your brilliance.”

“She is a great ruler. Even Thor knows it,” Tony admitted. Though they had been in New Asgard less than a week, Thor had kept to the periphery, as Loki and Tony had, allowing Valkyrie to continue with her governance.

 “Thor told me yesterday he has a chance to leave with those odd Guardian people, who are departing tomorrow… he told me he was strongly tempted to join them. Even though he’s back he senses the difference in this new world… If I am honest, Tony, I am too. Allow them to drop us off at an inhabitable planet. Explore the universe.”

Tony moved to sit up and Loki wiggled back, to allow him.

“Think of all of the exciting adventures we could have, Tony,” Loki said, hand still light in his hair. “Think of the mischief we could create.”

“Just like your double, creating strife in the universe,” the warmth that spiked his stomach took a moment to be recognisable. Hope. No, he amended, not hope. Excitement for the future.

“Go anywhere. Do anything. We are not held here. I am no longer bound to Asgard and its people. Turns out, they are flourishing without me. And this is a good thing.”

 “The idea of a little universe exploring is tempting,” Tony’s smile echoed Loki’s. “I’ll go anywhere, as long as it’s with you.”

“And you, Tony,” Loki pulled him in for another smooch.

*

“As I am commander of this vessel,” Thor said. “I will dictate where we go.”

Tony strongly suspected he was only stating this to annoy the appointed Captain Quill. Judging by the handsome man’s expression, his ploy was working. He was about to turn to Loki, to advise they find a quiet quarter and allow the crew to fight it out, when the subject of knife fights was brought up and Mantis- a woman Tony was vastly deciding he was the most fond of, in this band of deviants- was a little too vehement in her eagerness to view.

“There will be no knife fights here,” Thor said with an awkward laugh.

“I agree with Mantis on this one,” Loki said. “If only for the entertainment value.”

“As do I,” Nebula nodded.

“I am Groot.”

“It would be a definitive factor in deciding who’s captain!” Rocket advised.

“We don’t need any knife fights,” Quill and Thor exchanged uneasy glances.

Loki signalled to Tony and then gestured towards the back, when Thor clamped a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“I’m recently back from the dead and you are eager to see me stabbed? You’ll never change will you, brother?”  His tone was light.

“I figured if you insist on being idiotic you may as well,” Loki replied. “If you’ll excuse us…”

“Leaving us so soon?” Thor grinned.

“Where can we go on a spaceship? I’d prefer to have alone time with Tony than to listen to you two squabbling. Or perhaps it’s you too who need the alone time.”

“That I would wish to see,” Mantis said.

“If it stops the competitiveness, I’m all for it,” Rocket said.

“Hm… perhaps it is an idea-“ Thor said. “I have been intimate with many a man and woman and men can be-“

“No, I’m not…” Quill flushed. “Can we just stop this conversation?”

“If you’ll excuse us, I’m up for intimacy right now,” Loki said. “Whatever planet you decide to stop at Thor, that’s fine with us.”

“Ah… we will have fun together, us three,” Thor said, placing his arms around both Loki and Tony’s shoulders. “This is the beginning of a new adventure!”

“I’m sure it will be fine,” Loki said. Thor caught Tony’s eye and winked. Both were aware of Loki’s relief that his brother was back, not that Loki would ever admit it.

“Alright gorgeous, as fun as watching these two flirt is-“ Tony began.

“We are not flirting!” Quill said.

“The idea of intimacy with you now is very appealing,” Tony grabbed Loki’s hand.

As both walked towards the back of the room, Mantis asked.

“Can I watch?”

“No,” Loki said.

“I would be intrigued to watch your intimacy as well,” Drax said.

“No!” Loki’s exasperated expression spilled laughter from Tony’s lips. “This is putting me out of the mood,” he said, as they stepped out of the pilot’s cabin and into the corridor beyond.

“I can put you in the right mood,” Tony said, kissing his earlobe.

“Mm…” Loki turned him and backed him against the wall. “Where did they say our chambers were again?”

“Second door on the left.”

“Mm…” Loki’s kiss was soft and tender. “First we make love then we work out where we want to go, then I manipulate Thor into choosing the planet we want to go to.”

Tony smiled and shook his head. He wouldn’t expect any difference from his beloved.

“Now that sounds a great plan.”

Giggling like children, both sprinted into their appointed room.


End file.
